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Microsoft Active Directory pros and cons

Vendor: Microsoft
4.3 out of 5
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Pros & Cons summary

Microsoft Active Directory is user-friendly, integrating seamlessly with Microsoft products and offering cloud-based merging via Azure AD Connect. It excels in security management, credential handling, and stable performance. However, it lacks integration with non-Microsoft platforms, multi-factor authentication, and has limited scalability, complicating user management. Technical support is often slow, and configuration complexity presents significant challenges for IT administrators.

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

The ability to manage and enforce user and group policies is highly valued.
Scalability is a key feature, allowing for flexibility and the addition of numerous users.
The integration with Microsoft Office 365 and other cloud services offers a hybrid management solution.
Single Sign-On simplifies access to applications, enhancing user productivity.
It provides centralized authentication and security management, including password policies and user access control.

CONS

Microsoft Active Directory lacks sufficient integration with Mac and IOS products.
Security features in Microsoft Active Directory could be enhanced, including a failure to provide multi-factor authentication.
Microsoft Active Directory faces challenges with hybrid single sign-on, especially with non-Microsoft products, compared to Azure cloud implementations.
Scalability issues exist with Microsoft Active Directory, requiring additional software for network monitoring and management across distributed locations.
Microsoft Active Directory's technical support can be slow to respond and resolve issues, sometimes taking weeks or months.
 

Microsoft Active Directory Pros review quotes

Rajitha Abhisheka - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 29, 2022
The Solution's most important feature is that it can merge with a cloud-based active directory via Azure AD Connect.
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Shivaram Venkatesh - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 10, 2023
One noteworthy aspect we discovered is the ability to exercise tight control over systems, specifically Windows PCs. This pertains to the management of policies, usage patterns, and user access on these devices, particularly within the framework of Active Directory which is extremely well thought. This actually works better with on-premises solutions. However, as the global trend shifts towards cloud and hybrid environments, Active Directory and its use is diminishing. Yet, it hasn't entirely lost its relevance and remains a presence that cannot be entirely disregarded.
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Eko Kurniawan - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 10, 2025
The features I find most useful in Microsoft Active Directory are especially for the Single Sign-On; this is very useful for users, particularly if they have plenty of applications, such as tablet applications, because when they log in to their computer, the application will automatically log in with their credentials.
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Microsoft Active Directory
October 2025
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Giovanni Baruzzi - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 2, 2025
The features and capabilities of Microsoft Active Directory that I have found the most valuable over the years are that it is a mature technology, it's stable, and it delivers what it promises.
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Ashutosh Naik - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 10, 2023
The scalability of the solution is high...The initial setup of the solution is easy, and I would rate it an eight or nine out of ten on a scale of one to ten, where one being difficult and ten being easy.
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Hussein Taha - PeerSpot reviewer
Dec 13, 2022
We can also have separate domain controllers in different Active Directory sites based on their location.
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MM
Aug 10, 2023
Active Directory plays a focal point in security management, encompassing aspects like credential management, lifecycle, dynamic provisioning, and the network infrastructure of customers.
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CT
Jun 17, 2025
I've been working with Microsoft Active Directory for over 3 years, and we've had no problems.
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MR
Aug 3, 2023
It is easy to handle, and it gives a hundred percent results with the group policies.
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SHUBHAM BHINGARDE - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 8, 2024
The user interface of the product is very easy to use.
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Show 10 more reviews (out of 46)
 

Microsoft Active Directory Cons review quotes

Rajitha Abhisheka - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 29, 2022
The interface for logs should be user-friendly and allow for enhanced filtering to drill down to incidents.
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Shivaram Venkatesh - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 10, 2023
Typically, it depends on the customer's situation. If the customer operates in smaller locations where most PCs are in a common location, we usually aim to consolidate the directory infrastructure for easier maintenance. However, for distributed setups spanning multiple countries, configuring multiple sites becomes necessary and more intricate to handle. Our objective is to minimize the number of sites, simplifying operations for IT administrators and reducing errors. Mistakes in Active Directory can be costly for organizations, as disruptions can occur rapidly. Moreover, when it comes to hybrid single sign-on across various applications, Microsoft hasn't put forth significant effort. Single sign-on has become a challenge for many customers who utilize diverse solutions beyond Microsoft products. While implementing single sign-on is relatively straightforward in the Azure cloud, it's considerably more complex when dealing with the local Active Directory. This presents a big challenge for many of our customers.
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Eko Kurniawan - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 10, 2025
In my experience, it's difficult to manage Microsoft Active Directory when the server is attacked by a threat or malware.
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Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Active Directory
October 2025
Free Report: Microsoft Active Directory Reviews and More
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Active Directory. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2025.
DOWNLOAD NOW
872,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Giovanni Baruzzi - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 2, 2025
It's not the tendency of Microsoft to use a standard, but to modify it to their needs. This is catastrophic if you have to integrate other applications that use the same standard.
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Ashutosh Naik - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 10, 2023
In the solution, assigning permissions is complex, making it difficult to grant them at a granular level or to multiple users without templates or alternative tools.
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Hussein Taha - PeerSpot reviewer
Dec 13, 2022
If Microsoft is going to add anything to the on-prem solution, it should be an updated GUI.
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MM
Aug 10, 2023
I would like to see more integration with cloud-based applications. This would make it easier to manage users and devices across multiple platforms.
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CT
Jun 17, 2025
Sometimes, it can be overly complicated, and when you apply Group Policy in an Active Directory environment, sometimes those settings apply and sometimes they don't.
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MR
Aug 3, 2023
If you are using the Active Directory, the main concern is that the policy is restricted to the specific local area network.
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SHUBHAM BHINGARDE - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 8, 2024
Microsoft Active Directory restricts most of the features our company's employees want to use since they are involved in research and development activities.
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Show 10 more reviews (out of 45)

Product Categories

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Product Categories

Product Categories
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Active Directory Management

Popular Comparisons

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